OUR VIEW: Time for both sides to end partisan stalemate causing shutdown

While the federal government shutdown’s impact thus far has been minimal in Greater Fall River, it has threatened the livelihood of the 800 civilian employees at Naval Station Newport, whose jobs have been furloughed for as long as the impasse continues.

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

Writer

Posted Oct. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 2, 2013 at 2:21 AM

Posted Oct. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 2, 2013 at 2:21 AM

» Social News

While the federal government shutdown’s impact thus far has been minimal in Greater Fall River, it has threatened the livelihood of the 800 civilian employees at Naval Station Newport, whose jobs have been furloughed for as long as the impasse continues.

While national parks and monuments have been closed and many federal government websites have been shut down, Social Security offices, including Fall River’s, are offering limited services, and benefit payments for Social Security and other federal assistance programs are still being issued.Veterans Administration services are continuing with business as usual. The National Weather Service in Taunton is operating on a limited basis, while the shutdown is not affecting any services at the self-funded independent U.S. Postal Service.

Meanwhile, grant funding has already been issued, and federal funding for transportation and programs like Head Start has already been allocated to Fall River. All things considered, the shutdown is not so bad around these parts. However, the possibility of a prolonged government shutdown has local officials and human services providers dependent on federal funding worried.

When it comes to the shutdown, though, the partisans have their heels dug in, their swords drawn, their blinders on. However, there is an easy way to deal with this impasse. Both House and Senate can vote on a bill that addresses only one issue: funding for the federal government. Not ObamaCare. Not a medical devices tax. Not the health care program members of Congress themselves should be on. Not the Keystone pipeline. Not any other subject.

All of those can be dealt with in their own, stand-alone bills, on their own merits without any consideration of the other clutter. How often have we heard over the years, from Republicans and Democrats alike, how much they hate it when members of Congress lard on these unrelated measures? Now is the time to be consistent. Now is the time to keep it simple.

We believe that a clean continuing spending resolution — to fund the national parks so that veterans on an Honor Flight can see the World War II memorial before they die, to ensure people who need food stamps get them, etc. — would pass the House, as it has the Senate, if Speaker Boehner would just call that vote. Until that happens, he, his chamber and his Republicans own this shutdown, no matter what talking points they’ve adopted to try to deflect the blame for triggering yet another unnecessary crisis.

If Americans can’t be allowed this simple vote, well, the inescapable conclusion is that these members of Congress aren’t serious about doing their jobs, in which case the honorable thing to do would be to resign to make room for others who are interested in governing.